Two large groups of visitors from Spain dropped by at the Foundation of Goodness to experience charity and rural life in Sri Lanka.

Their visit to the Foundation of Goodness was an eye opening one-stop experience where the visitors were able to learn about a devastating event in Sri Lankan history- the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, witness an inspiring community development programme that defied great odds in reaching out to holistically develop the lives of rural villages, witness a slice of life from a rural village, enjoy local cuisine and also have a lot of fun.

For their visit to Seenigama, the two groups chartered the Viceroy Special, the only vintage steam engine currently in operation in Sri Lanka which offers a luxury travel experience complete with all period fittings. The group disembarked from the Seenigama train station adjacent to the MCC Centre of Excellence.

The groups were welcomed to the MCC COE where they toured the premises, visiting the various classes and programmes offered there and learning about the devastating day in December 2004 when the entire premises was submerged by the raging tsunami waves that destroyed the whole village.

The Spaniards got a further taste for local transport when they travelled in Sri Lanka’s iconic tuk tuks from the MCC Centre to the nearby Sports Academy where a range of fun activities were organized by the FoG. The more sporty members of the groups were quickly immersed in a game of soccer while others tried their hand at cricket and had a good laugh.

During this time there were two other very interesting programmes taking place, mask painting and creating spice mixes. The team from FoG’s sustainable income generation spice mix venture, Gourmet Goodness, was waiting for the group with a delicious collection of their spices. The groups were shown examples of different spice mixes and then had free reign to create the perfect blend to suite their personal tastes selecting from a variety of ingredients including Pure Ceylon Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Himalayan Salt, Lime and Lemon Peel, Chillie Flakes, Onion, Garlic and Cumin with FoG staff at hand to give helpful suggestions during the process. The visitors also had the chance to show off their artistic side and hand paint traditional wooden masks. The masks and spice mixes created by the group were the perfect souvenirs to remember their visit. The groups were also able to taste a selection of traditional Sri Lankan sweets.

The visitors were absolutely delighted with their unique experiences and we were delighted to be a part of what was such an unforgettable experience for them.